Calibre Prize Explained

The Calibre Essay Prize is an annual Australian Book Review essay-writing award. The prize, first awarded in 2007, is worth AU$7,500 and is deemed 'the nation's premier essay-writing competition'^[1] and 'Australia's leading award for an original essay'.^[2]

The prize is 'intended to generate brilliant new essays and to foster new insights into culture, society, and the human condition'^[3] and welcomes entries from published authors and commentators, as well as from emerging writers. All non-fiction subjects are eligible for submission.

History

The Prize was established in 2007. It is presented annually by the ABR and 'awards the most outstanding original essay contributed by a leading Australian author or commentator'.^[4] The Prize was previously co-funded by the Australian Copyright Agency. It is currently supported by Colin Golvan QC.

Winners

• 2007 – Elisabeth Elisabeth Holdsworth: "An die Nachgenborenen: For Those Who Come After"^[5]
• 2008 – Rachel Robertson: "Reaching One Thousand"^[6] and Mark Tredinnick: "A Storm and a Teacup"^[7]
• 2009 – Kevin Brophy: "What're yer looking at yer fuckin' dog: Violence and Fear in Žižek's Post-political Neighbourhood"^[8] and Jane Goodall: "Footprints"^[9]
• 2010 – Lorna Hallahan: "On Being Odd"^[10] and David Hansen: "Seeing Truganini"^[11]
• 2011 – Dean Biron: "The Death of the Writer"^[12] and Moira McKinnon: "Who Killed Matilda?"^[13]
• 2012 – Matt Rubinstein: "Body and Soul: Copyright and Law Enforcement in the Age of the Electronic Book"^[14]
• 2013 – Martin Thomas: "Because it's your country: Bringing Back the Bones to West Arnhem Land"^[15]
• 2014 – Christine Piper: "Unearthing the past"^[16]
• 2015 – Sophie Cunningham: "Staying with the trouble"^[17]
• 2016 – Michael Winkler: "The Great Red Whale"^[18]
• 2017 – Michael Adams: "Salt Blood"^[19]
• 2018 – Lucas Grainger-Brown: "We Three Hundred"^[20]
• 2019 – Grace Karskens: "Nah Doongh's Song"^[21]
• 2020 – Yves Rees: "Reading the Mess Backwards"^[22]
• 2021 – Theodore Ell: "Façades of Lebanon"^[23]
• 2022 – Simon Tedeschi: "This Woman My Grandmother"^[24]
• 2023 – Tracy Ellis: "Flow States"^[25]
• 2024 – Tracey Slaughter: "why your hair is long & your stories short"^[26]

Notes and References

1. Web site: News. sydney.edu.au.
2. Web site: Announcing the winner of Australia's premier essay prize . . 2014-04-01 . https://web.archive.org/web/20220129130806/https://www.australianbookreview.com.au/images/2014_Calibre_Prize_Winner.pdf . 2022-01-29 . live.
3. Web site: Calibre Prize 2015. australianbookreview.com.au. 2014-09-24. https://web.archive.org/web/20141022002201/https://www.australianbookreview.com.au/prizes/calibre-prize. 2014-10-22. dead.
4. Web site: News. sydney.edu.au.
5. Web site: "An die Nachgenborenen: For Those Who Come After" . Australian Book Review, February 2007 . 19 July 2024.
6. Web site: "Reaching One Thousand" . Australian Book Review, February 2008 . 19 July 2024.
7. Web site: "A Storm and a Teacup" . Australian Book Review, February 2008 . 19 July 2024.
8. Web site: "What're yer looking at yer fuckin' dog: Violence and Fear in Žižek's Post-political Neighbourhood" . Australian Book Review, April 2009 . 19 July 2024.
9. Web site: "Footprints" . Australian Book Review, April 2009 . 19 July 2024.
10. Web site: "On Being Odd" . Australian Book Review, May 2010. 19 July 2024.
11. Web site: "Seeing Truganini" . Australian Book Review, May 2010. 19 July 2024.
12. Web site: "2011 Calibre Prize (Winner): The Death of the Writer" . Australian Book Review, May 2011. 19 July 2024.
13. Web site: "Who Killed Matilda?" . Australian Book Review, July-August 2011. 19 July 2024.
14. Web site: "Body and Soul: Copyright and Law Enforcement in the Age of the Electronic Book" . Australian Book Review, September 2012. 19 July 2024.
15. Web site: "Because it's your country: Bringing Back the Bones to West Arnhem Land" . Australian Book Review, April 2013. 19 July 2024.
16. Web site: "2014 Calibre Prize (Winner): Unearthing the Past by Christine Piper" . Australian Book Review, April 2014. 19 July 2024.
17. Web site: "Staying with the trouble by Sophie Cunningham" . Australian Book Review, May 2015. 19 July 2024.
18. Web site: Winkler . Michael . 2016-05-23 . 2016 Calibre Essay Prize (Winner): 'The Great Red Whale' . 2022-05-06 . Australian Book Review . en-gb.
19. Web site: 2017-05-24 . Adams win 'ABR' Calibre Essay prize . 2022-05-06 . Books+Publishing . en-AU.
20. Web site: The Calibre Prize. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20170324020247/http://www.austlit.edu.au/austlit/page/v1510 . 2017-03-24 . 2020-09-29. AustLit: Discover Australian Stories. en.
21. Web site: 2019-06-05. Karskens wins 'ABR' 2019 Calibre Prize. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20190608034306/https://www.booksandpublishing.com.au/articles/2019/06/05/134262/karskens-wins-abr-calibre-prize/ . 2019-06-08 . 2020-09-29. Books+Publishing. en-AU.
22. Web site: 2020-06-02. Yves Rees wins 2020 Calibre Essay Prize. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20200612013230/https://www.booksandpublishing.com.au/articles/2020/06/02/151403/yves-rees-wins-2020-calibre-essay-prize/ . 2020-06-12 . 2020-09-29. Books+Publishing. en-AU.
23. Web site: 2021-06-30. Ell wins 2021 Calibre Essay Prize. live. 2021-07-01. Books+Publishing. en-AU. https://web.archive.org/web/20210630024313/https://www.booksandpublishing.com.au/articles/2021/06/30/188802/theodore-ell-wins-2021-calibre-essay-prize/ . 2021-06-30 .
24. Web site: 2022-05-03 . Tedeschi wins 2022 Calibre Essay Prize . 2022-05-06 . Books+Publishing . en-AU.
25. Web site: Ellis . Tracy . 2023-04-24 . 2023 Calibre Essay Prize (Winner) 'Flow States' by Tracy Ellis . 2024-03-08 . Australian Book Review . en-gb.
26. Web site: 2024-05-07 . Slaughter wins 2024 Calibre Essay Prize . 2024-05-10 . Books+Publishing.